Electric welding-machine.



A. F. RIETZEL. ELECTRIC WELDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24, 1908.

1,001,888. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

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ELECTRIC WELDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 24, 1908.

1,001,888. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

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- W/TN 8E8: INVENTOR @W Ado/ A E Q/efzefi am -W4, "m 7 BY ma 3ATTORNEY-9 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH I. RIETZEL, 0F CHARLESTOWN, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSALELECTRIC WELDING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC WELDING-MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

Serial No. 469,124.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLrHF. RIETZEL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Charlestown, in the State of Rhode .Island,post-office address \Vesterly, Rhode Island, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electric lVelding-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My, invention relates more particularly to electric welding machinesemploying a pair of current bearing pressure blocks or heads and meansfor forcing the same toward one another in order to effect the weld inthe electrically heated section of work between them.

One part of my invention relates to an improved construction whereby twoor more independent welds may be made at the same time when the pair ofheads are forced toward one another. This part of my invention isparticularly useful for machines for welding two or more rods or :pinsto an opposite piece or pieces of metal by a butt weld and by pressureexerted in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said pins or rods.

Another part of my invention relates to means for avoiding the liabilityof the heated in or rod to buckle or bend under the app ication of theend pressure applied thereto while held between said blocks or heads.

To these ends my invention consists in the combinations of parts anddetails of construction hereinafter described and then specified in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portionof a welding machine embodying my invention, the parts being shown insection or broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan of a cooling block or plate,one of its fastening screws being shown in cross-section. Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section through the templet, the current-bearing pressureblock and supplemental springactuated contact mounted thereon. Fig. 4 isa' side elevation of a modification. Fig. 5 shows in side elevation, amodification in the manner of mounting the cooling block or plate.

2 indicates one of the current-bearing pressureblocks of a weldingmachine, and 1 the removable contact fastened thereto. Said blockQworksin suitable guides 3' and may be the operating head or block whichis moved by suitable mechanism toward the opposite head or block toapply pressure to the work assembled between the contact 1 and thecontact or contacts upon the opposite currentbearing pressure block. Inthe present instance it is assumed for purposes of illustration, thatthe movement of the head or block 2 is produced by mechanism actingthereon through the intervention of a spring 4 and constructed as shownin my prior application, filed November 8, 1906, S. N. 342,456.

5 is the lower or opposite current-bearing pressure block removablysecured to a ledge 9 projecting from the lower slide or platen 10 whichslides for purposes of adjustment or other-purposes in suitable guidesas also described in my prior application before referred to. Thecurrent-bearing pressure blocks or heads, however constructed, mountedand guided, are connected with some suitable source of heating current,for instance, with the terminals of a transformer secondary, as shown inmy prior application above referred to or in any other suitable manner.Inasmuch as the constructions and features so far described form no partof my present invention they are not illustrated in detail.

6 indicates a central contact upon the head 5 and 6 supplementalcontacts removably secured to said head and each provided with a spring8 to permit them to yield independently of one another and of contact 6in the direction of the line of welding pressure applied to the work.Each supplemental contact 6. may form the terminal of a lever 7,detachably mounted upon the side face of the head or block 5 and pivotedthereon, as shown, thereby permitting its ready removal and thesubstitution of other levers of different lengths or' having theircontact ends differently disposed for different kinds of work. In thepresent case Ihave shown the work as comprising a plate 11 and a'numberof pins 12 to be welded by a butt-weld to the face of saidplate. Thepins 12 are seated upon the contacts 6 6' and the latter are preferablyprovided with'sockets or cavities in their contact faces which conformto the end of the pins, thus aiding in locating the ins and also servingto prevent tipping o the pin under the endwise ressure. B using thesupplemental sprmgactuate contacts mounted and pressed, as shown, Iprovide effectually for any slight disparity in the lengthof the pins.

In Fig. 1, one of the contacts, namely 6, is su posed to be fixed on theblock or head 5. bviously, however, this contact might be alsospring-actuated as indicated in Fig. 4. Suitable stops, as shown, limitthe forward movement of the contact.

13 indicates a block or piece of metal by means of which heat may beconducted awa from the portions of the pins or pieces 12 ack of thewelding portion and between such portions and the point on which thepressure is exerted upon said 'pin or piece in producing the weld. Thisblock or piece 13 is of metal formin a good conductor of heat and isconveniently madeof steel. It lies in close contact with the sides ofthe pins or pieces 12 so as to conduct the heat away an dissipate it inthe atmosphere. Obviously, in the caseof pins or rods said plate wouldbe simply provided with openings in which the pins or rods fit snu ly.Obviously further, the said heatdissipating plate 13 also operates as atemplet to locate the work in the machine. Plate 13 is preferablymounted so as to be insulated from the other parts of the machinethrough which the current passes to the work. A convenient way ofmounting it is to support it directly upon the current bearing pressureblock or head 5, as shown, in which case the screws 14 by which it isfastened enter blocks of insulation set in the head 5.

15 indicates spacing-blocks or washers for supporting the plate 13 at aproper eleva tion. The fastening screws 14 may pass through elongatedslots in the plate to permit longitudlnal adjustment of the same whenrequired.

I do not limit myself to any particular manner of supporting thiscooling plate or templet 13, nor to supporting it upon any particularpart of the apparatus. Preferably, however, it is mounted asshown.

The cooling block or templet 13, in order to best serve its'purpose,should be of as large mass and surface as convenient in order that itmay absorb the heat of the parts-of the piece to be welded forward ofthe point of application ofthe pressure by the contacts w ich engage thework at its rear end or portion. I have shown the said block as sosupported on-the welding head as to be insulated therefrom but it mightbe directly connected therewith as shown in Fig. 5 so that a portion ofthe electric heating current conveyed to the welding point of the pin 12and late 11 would pass through said cooling b ock or plate. In thisinstance the said block would 0 erate as before to conduct away anddissipate the superfluous heat. As will be readily understood, the endsof the pins 12 where they engage the plate 11 or where the welding is totake place are initially prepared in any desired or proper manner by sopointing or forming them that the current at the beginning of theoperation will pass over comparatively limited contact areas and therebyproduce a desired welding temperature. This initial preparation beingwell understood in the art is not shown in the drawings.

What I claim as my invention is:'

1. In an electric welding machine 9. ourrent-bearing pressure blockprovided with a templet for the work mounted on said block and insulatedtherefrom.

2. In an electric welding machine, a current-bearing pressure blockhaving a yielding contact, adapted to abut against the piece of metal tobe welded and a mass of heat-conducting material engagin the sides ofthe Work and formed as descrlbed to act as a templet.

3. In an electric welding machine, a current-bearing pressure blockhaving a yielding contact and carrying a templet of heatconductingmaterial as and for the purpose described.

4. In an electric welding machine, a current-bearing pressure blockabutting against the piece of work to be welded and having a coolingtemplet engaging the side of the work.

5. In anelectric welding apparatus, the combination with means for buttwelding a number of rods simultaneously to a common support, of acooling templet provided with openings in which the rods fit snugly andmounted in position to receive the work.

6. In an electric welding machine for making a number of weldssimultaneously, the combination of a pair of opposed current bearingpressure heads or blocks, means for actuatlng the same to compress thepieces of work between them and two independent work engaging contacts,one of which isyieldingly mounted on its head to yield independently ofthe other under the pressure applied by said heads to the two pieces ofwork engaged respectively by said contacts.

7; In an electric welding machine for making independent weldssimultaneously, the combination with a pair of opposed current bearingpressure heads and means for actuating the same to compress the piecesof work simultaneously between them, of two or more work engagingcontacts engagm respectively different pieces to be we ld e eachyieldingly mounted upon and deriving current from a head and eachadapted to,

yield independently of the other in the line of the pressure upon thepieces of work.

8. In an electric metal working machine, the combination with a pair ofopposed current bearing pressure heads and means for actuating the sameto compress the work between them, of a plurality of independentlymounted contacts adapted to engage respectively different pieces of workand each yieldingly mounted upon a head and a spring for each contactadapted to hold it yieldingly engaged with its own piece of work duringthe application of pressure by said pair of opposed heads to thedifl'erent pieces of work simultaneously.

9. In an electric metal working apparatus, the combination of a pair ofcurrent bearing pressure heads adapted to compress the work betweenthem, a plurality of yieldingly mounted contacts common to and mountedon one of said heads and adapted to engage respectively different piecesof work and a spring for each contact, whereby each may yieldindependently of the others when they receive pressure in common fromsaid heads.

10. In an electric welding machine, the

combination of a pair of opposed current bearing heads and means forforcing them together, and a plurality of spring actuated yieldingcontacts engaging respectively different pieces of the work and mountedso as to receive pressure in common when the heads of said pair approachone another.

11. 'In an electric welding machine, a current bearing pressure blockhaving a series of independently yielding work engaging spring pressedcontacts removably mounted thereon and forming respectively the contactsfor different pieces of work and a co operating current bearing pressureblock acting on the pieces of work simultaneously.

Signed at Stonington in the county of New London and State of Conn. thistwelfth day of December A. D. 1908.

ADOLPH F. RIETZEL. Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. WILoox, ROUSE'L. CLARKE.

